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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427991">The Phoenix Must Burn to Emerge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/savanting/pseuds/savanting'>savanting</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mulan (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>ALL THE FLUFF, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Post-Canon, Short One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:28:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/savanting/pseuds/savanting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulan didn't realize that her marriage would be the beginning of a new set of challenges. One-Shot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chen Honghui/Fa Mulan | Hua Mulan (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Phoenix Must Burn to Emerge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't own any Disney properties, such as <i>Mulan</i> (2020). This is just a little fluff fic that I had to get out of my system. It's not my favorite thing I've ever written, but I hope it's enjoyable. (Also, read the end notes for some news about any upcoming fics from me in this fandom space.)</p><p>The title comes from a quote in the book <i>White Oleander</i> by Janet Fitch.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were few things more beautiful to Mulan than the sight of her husband sleeping peacefully beside her. They had the scars on their bodies from the wars and battles they had overseen in the restless state of their empire, but in the morning – with rays catching against their skin – it was easy to forget that war even existed beyond their little sphere of life. And the building of their home <i>had</i> become a refuge away from all the darkness that lingered out in the world.</p><p>Mulan pressed a kiss to Honghui’s temple and silently prayed for peace to blanket them in bliss for some time to come.</p><p>*</p><p>“You look tired, sister,” Xiu said as Mulan helped her younger sister arrange her wares for the market that day.</p><p>Mulan’s gaze trailed the people bustling around them; it had become a habit to inspect all sides for any incoming threats. Being a warrior in all her senses had become second nature, where she couldn’t relax until she was certain there were no enemies nearby to cut her down. “Do you think so?” Mulan hummed a little as she fiddled with a woven basket. “I’ve been getting enough sleep.”</p><p>Xiu’s eyes sparked with mischief. “And <i>other things</i>, I’m sure.”</p><p>A blush crept into Mulan’s cheeks. “That’s – that’s neither here nor there.”</p><p>“Ah, so you’re not denying it,” Xiu said, her smile widening. But then a pall of worry crossed Xiu’s face. “I understand it’s hard for you. Adapting to regular life after all that you’ve seen – I can only imagine what you’re living with.”</p><p>“It’s definitely easier to tend to chickens on the farm than readying a sword and armor for battle,” Mulan agreed. But she could not help the somber note that betrayed her little joke. Especially when she could just close her eyelids and be back <i>there</i>, on the battlefield, the smells of smoke and blood intermingling.</p><p>War seemed so far away, yet Mulan imagined she could taste it on the air if it were heading to their little remote village.</p><p>“Oh, sister,” Xiu said with a sigh. “You should rest your mind and focus on bigger issues at hand.”</p><p>“And what would that be?” Mulan was almost afraid to ask.</p><p>“Your child-bearing years are fewer than you think,” Xiu said, “and don’t you want to see the little ones that you and my dear brother-in-law would have?”</p><p>“We haven’t discussed children,” Mulan said, though her stomach knotted in all the wrong ways at the thought of bringing a child into a world that could teeter on the brink of war again at any moment.</p><p>“Do you need to?” Xiu asked. “And Mother probably won’t rest until she has grandchildren from <i>one</i> of us.”</p><p>Mulan huffed out a sigh. “I don’t know, Xiu,” she said. “I hardly think I’m the mothering type.”</p><p>To Mulan’s surprise, Xiu laughed. “No woman thinks she’s ready for motherhood, yet babies keep being born every single day. Oh, Mulan, maybe that’s just what you need: a child to distract you from your worries.”</p><p><i>My worries would only grow if I had a child,</i> Mulan thought, but she wouldn’t say those words aloud. She loved her sister, but there were times that Xiu did not understand Mulan’s hesitation over simple things that other women embraced. Xiu had lived all her life in the village, never seeing the outside world or all that it could offer.</p><p>Mulan couldn’t blame her sister for upholding traditional values while not even imagining there were other options out there.</p><p>“I’ll speak with Honghui about it,” Mulan finally said, willing to talk about anything else but the state of her womb with her little sister.</p><p>Xiu just smiled. “That’s all I wanted to hear,” she said.</p><p>Mulan held back a sigh of relief. Once, she wanted to bring honor to her family; now, all she wanted to do was saddle her horse and escape the village.</p><p>Anything to avoid thinking about motherhood and all it might entail.</p><p>*</p><p>“How was the market today?” Honghui asked as he and Mulan sat down for dinner in their home that night.</p><p>As she brought her chopsticks to her mouth, Mulan simply made a sound of displeasure. Honghui raised his eyebrows at her. “Let me guess,” he said. “Did Xiu bring up the topic of children to you?”</p><p>Mulan nearly dropped her chopsticks. “How—?”</p><p>Honghui looked like he could barely suppress a laugh. “She brought up the subject to me when she was here last week. I couldn’t get away from her quickly enough.”</p><p><i>Sister of mine, I will see that you pay for this dearly,</i> Mulan thought.</p><p>Mulan gave a shake of her head. “I don’t understand it,” she said. “Who would want to bring a child into a chaotic world like this?”</p><p>Honghui was quiet for a long moment. “Children give people hope, I suppose,” he said. “Don’t you think so?”</p><p>Mulan set down her chopsticks. “I don’t know how I feel,” she admitted. “Children were never on my mind, especially after I believed my prospects for marriage were nonexistent.”</p><p>“But you’re married now,” Honghui said, his voice gentle, as he laid a hand atop hers. “Have you considered having children with me? At all?”</p><p>Mulan hesitated. “I don’t think I can be a mother,” she said, “at least not right now.”</p><p>“If my opinion matters at all, I think you would be a great mother,” he said. “But I know how you feel. I worry about bringing a child into this world too.”</p><p>“I could change my mind,” Mulan said quickly, “but for now—”</p><p>“For now you don’t want to talk about it,” Honghui finished for her. “I’m not going to be one of those husbands to force his opinion on his wife and expect her to obey without question. We were comrades long before we were ever lovers, or husband and wife.”</p><p>Mulan couldn’t help staring at her husband for long moments before saying, “Thank you.”</p><p>Honghui just smiled. “Your food is getting cold,” he said, gesturing to the bowls in front of her.</p><p>Mulan had to blink back tears before she began to eat again.</p><p>*</p><p>In dreams, Mulan saw a multi-colored bird swim across her vision. It looked like the phoenix that had guided her during her time as a soldier – and she knew then that her family’s guardian spirit was still watching over her.</p><p>The bird burst into flames, the dancing colors of purple and green and gold, and the embers flew around her. Yet she was not afraid of being burned as she caught a few glowing sparks in her hands.</p><p>Within her palms sat a tiny fledgling of a bird that looked up at her with eyes the color of golden sands.</p><p>After she awoke, Mulan didn’t know what the dream meant – but she had a feeling her family’s guardian spirit was still watching over her every single day she breathed.</p><p>And the phoenix would watch over her children and their children and onward to the ends of time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This will be my last fic for <i>Mulan</i> (2020). While I have loved making fics for this fledgling fandom, I cannot ignore the controversy surrounding the film (Google is your friend if you want to know more), and with a good conscience I cannot keep making content promoting the film, its creation, and Disney's hand in it. I'm sorry to everyone who has read my other fics and expected more to come, but this was a personal decision that I really grappled with.</p><p>Stay safe and informed, folks.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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